Virtual Teams and Project Management - Research Proposal Example

VIRTUAL TEAMS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT By Insert Name Institution Instructor Date Virtual teams and project management Brief Review of Literature Working remotely has become so commonplace that the current organizations are opting for the use of virtual teams in completing projects that require expertise and input from individuals that may not be particularly proximate, spatially speaking. In point of fact, virtual teams, according to Chiu et al (2006) are more relevant in contemporary organizational practice than the traditional practice. Hunsaker and Hunsaker (2002) argue that the traditional teams are based on the perceived weaknesses of the virtual teams. The two scholars argue that according to the advocates of the traditional teams, the virtual teams are practically curtailed by the shortcomings of technology. Apparently, the traditional teams are deemed better because the face to face teams are associated with trust. Such trust, however, may not be necessary when there are structures in place to govern the activities of the workers and the management (Rad and Levin 2006). Chiu et al (2006), in seeking to compare the effectiveness of the traditional or conventional teams to the effectiveness of the virtual teams, concluded that the differences purely depended on the intrinsic characteristics of the teams, and not at all, on the fact that that one team was a virtual and the other is an actual. In what seems like a unanimous agreement with this Bell and Kazlowski (2002) and Ardichvili (2008) note that the virtual teams are as effective as the traditional teams because the teams are subjected to the same goals and objectives. The goals given to the traditional team are the same goals given to the virtual team. The methods used by the actual teams are the same methods adopted by the virtual teams. Apparently, some scholars argue that in some cases, the virtual teams are far much better than the actual teams as the virtual teams can work conveniently even at the odd hours of the day (Rad and Levin 2006). While the battle goes on between the advocates of both sides, researchers are constantly seeking to shed light on the topic. Elaboration of Research Aims Among the primary aims of the research will be the efforts to establish whether or not there is a difference in the performance of the virtual teams and the traditional teams. While scholars have successfully addressed this topic, it remains highly debatable. Essentially, therefore, this is a gap in literature. In a bid to fill this gap, the research will prioritize this objective. The second aim would definitely be to establish the particular challenges associated with managing and leading virtual teams. Scholars have always differed on the way in which the art of leadership can be applied to the management of virtual teams, especially now that the team members are far apart. The third research aim will be to establish the time differences in completing the projects between virtual teams and actual teams. This is because currently, the presumption is that the actual teams are more efficient than the virtual teams in as far as management of time is concerned. The Main Issues To Be Discussed The main issues to be discussed revolve around the primary merits and demerits of virtual teams. Currently, Hunsaker and Hunsaker (2002) argue that the virtual teams have quite a number of advantages. Among the primary advantages mentioned by the scholars is the reality that with virtual offices, people have the advantage to work from the comfort of their homes. The people that form the team are spatially apart but are in a position to work hand in hand with one another towards the achievement of the objectives of the team. Working from home or wherever an individual desires has been identified as being particularly advantageous because working this way enables a person to work in a setting that he deems best. According to Chiu et al (2006) people may be inefficient because they have to work in conditions that they deem unsuitable, but the employer deems suitable. When such is the case, the people become unproductive. This issue will be discussed in deep detail. Another matter to be discussed is the belief that virtual teams are connected with the need to embrace cultural diversity. Cultural diversity and spatial distribution are concepts that go hand in hand with one another. It is important to note that this is debatable since in normal circumstances, virtual teams could be used in a region with one culture. Rad and Levin (2006) argue that whether virtual teams are a response to the need for cultural diversity is debatable. Because there is possibility that cultural diversity came as a result of the rise of virtual teams. The research will seek to unearth the relationship between the two concepts. Another issue to be discussed is the cost of using virtual teams in an organization. Virtual teams are associated with certain unique costs (Rad and Levin 2006). Speaking of costs, the organizations appropriate them in such a manner that they espouse both monetary costs and other factors of nonmonetary nature. These include the costs of time and other resources, especially technological capital and infrastructure such as the presence or otherwise of computer networks, internet connections and so on. Discussing this issue will reveal the comparative relationship between the virtual teams and the actual teams that are associated with the traditional organizational setting. The role of virtual organization in the internationalization of the firm will be another main issue to be discussed. Apparently, virtual teams have members from the global scene. The research paper will seek to establish the extent to which the concept of the virtual organization promotes the growth of the globalization phenomenon in the business world. In seeking to appreciate the role of virtual organizations, the paper will seek to explain the significance of technology in the expansion of the organization. Application of the global perspectives of project management will be essential at this particular stage. It is noteworthy that, with the rate at which businesses are partnering and engaging in FDI, it is likely that projects may require to be managed by virtual teams more than the actual teams in the foreseeable future. Sources of Information In gathering information about the main issues to be discussed, various sources will be used. The main sources will be peer reviewed journal articles. Such articles, unlike books, represent specialized knowledge, which in most cases is updated and reflects the current state of affairs. There are various journals on project management and technology. Such will be exceptionally reliable in contributing to the pool of knowledge that will help in coming up with sufficient conclusions. The second source will be books and other secondary material. Books contain principles and guidelines that define virtual organizations and virtual teams. Such secondary information will be picked and synthesized from books that are not less than five years old. This will help the researcher come up with updated information on the topic. Gaining current knowledge on the topic will add to the relevance of the findings, conclusions and recommendations. The third category will be primary sources such as interviews. Interviews will be conducted where possible, to seek primary information on the various issues at hand. The use of primary sources of information is highly recommended as such sources are accredited for reliability and more detailed information. Time Scale The entire research will take a period of one month. This will be adequate time for the collection and analysis of important information. One month is deemed enough since it will give the researcher enough time to compare various studies that he may consider important. Worth mentioning is the reality that allocating a time too short may make the researcher come up with vague findings and invalid recommendations. Taking too long – unnecessarily long – can render the research findings time barred. Target Audience Analysis The target audience will be the project managers that work with virtual teams in the global context. The managers may find it essential to refer constantly to the findings and recommendations of the research, so as to strike a balance between the actual teams and the virtual teams as far as managing and executing international projects is concerned. Among the target audience also will be the project management students that endeavor to work on the global arena. All proponents of the virtual organization will as well be part of the target audience. Such groups will find the research findings and recommendations exceptionally useful, especially as far as leadership and management are concerned. Other Issues to Be Considered Much like in all other research papers, ethical considerations will be made. Ethics refers to a body of principles separating socially acceptable norms from the socially unacceptable practices. While there is a slight difference between morals and ethics, the researcher will prominently focus on ethics since ethics applies to professionalism. Human aspects of the topic will as well be considered. For instance, the human aspects and implications of globalism and remote working will be taken into consideration. Apparently, the human perceptions of the virtual organizations are considered as part of the costs as such perceptions affect attitudes, which in turn affects productivity. Reference List Ardichvili, A. 2008 Learning and Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities of Practice: Motivators, Barriers and Enablers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10, 541-554 Bell, B.S. and Kozlowski, S.W.J. 2002, “A typology of virtual teams: implications for effective leadership” Group and Organization Management, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 14-49. Beranek, P., Broder, J., Reinig, B.A., Romano, N.C. Jr and Sump, S. 2005, “Management of virtual project teams: guidelines for team leaders”, Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Vol. 16, pp. 247-59 Chiu, C., Hsu, M & Wang, T. 2006,Understanding knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An integration of social capital and social cognitive theories. Elsevier Hunsaker, P. and Hunsaker, J. S. 2002, Virtual teams: a leader’s guide. TPM (14)1/2 Rad, P. F., & Levin, G. 2003, Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams. Boca Raton, Flor, J. Ross. Read More